– Episode 001
Prologue
The capital of Arcadia, Alkard.
On its outskirts, the Lewisstom Racetrack was packed with people, bustling so much that there was barely room to stand.
– The final lap! It’s the final lap! Thunderbolt Rising and Silver Hurricane are in a fierce neck-and-neck race! Who will take the victory?
“Of course it’s Silver Hurricane!”
“I bet my entire fortune! Go, Silver Hurricane!”
People raised their voices, cheering for the racehorse they had wagered on, and the enormous racetrack trembled as if it might collapse from the roar.
– On the corner! Silver Hurricane stumbles briefly at the corner. Thunderbolt Rising takes advantage and pulls ahead!
– An unbelievable upset by the weakest contender! A miracle is unfolding!
“Whoa!”
“Go, Thunderbolt Rising! If you win, it’s fifteen times the payout!”
“Just a little more! Just a little more!”
“Fifteen times! Fifteen times!”
At the center of the crowd screaming like fanatics in a cult was, surprisingly, a child.
A child who seemed to be only about five years old.
“Go, Thunderbolt Rising! I believe in you!”
Her name was Estelle.
With her wavy silver hair braided neatly on both sides, Estelle stood barely tall enough to reach an adult man’s waist.
But watching the race wasn’t a problem. Her tall father, Solen, had her riding on his shoulders.
– Not much left to the finish line…! Oh no, what’s this! Thunderbolt Rising’s jockey falls off! Thunderbolt Rising comes to a halt! A disaster right in front of the finish line!
“What…”
– Silver Hurricane! Taking the opportunity, makes the final sprint! …Victory! Silver Hurricane wins the race!
“Damn it, no way! The finish line was right there!”
“My money! My mooooney!”
Those who had bet on Thunderbolt Rising vented their frustration by throwing their hats or spitting on the ground.
“This can’t be…”
Though he wasn’t yelling like the others, Solen was just as stunned.
The betting ticket he had been holding along with his daughter’s stubby legs slipped from his grasp and fell like a dead leaf.
If Thunderbolt Rising had won, it would have returned as 1.5 billion Luce. Now, it was nothing but a meaningless scrap of paper.
“…Daughter, what happened?”
“…Huh?”
“You said Thunderbolt Rising would definitely win. That you’d make Daddy rich.”
“Uh, well…”
As Estelle swallowed hard with her little hands on her father’s head, she suddenly shouted loudly, “Ah!”
“Oh no, now I remember properly!”
“Remember what?”
“It’s the next race that’s real. It wasn’t 1 to 15, it was 1 to 25!”
“What?”
“He lost here because the jockey fell off, but in the next race, he shows heroic determination through injury and actually wins!”
Excited, Estelle pounded her father’s shoulders with both hands.
“Daddy! You have to bet in the next one! All of it! Bet the whole fortune!”
“Hmm, all of it… all the fortune sounds great. But hey, sweetheart. What did you say before this race started?”
“Um…”
Estelle froze as she stared into space.
“You said this race would definitely be a win… and to bet every coin we had…”
“Yup. So now Daddy has no money left. Completely broke.”
To prove it, Solen turned out his pants pockets, pulling out the fabric inside.
All that fell out with his shaking hands was dust.
Still unable to believe her father was truly broke, Estelle came down from his shoulders and circled him, then asked the man standing next to him.
“Not even this much? Uncle Torkan?”
“Uh, well…”
The man who had been standing stiffly beside Solen throughout the race stammered as if caught off guard by a flying arrow.
The sweat beading on his face made it obvious something was off.
But Solen and Estelle were too desperate to notice.
“Sigh… No choice then.”
Estelle took off the bunny backpack she had on her back and placed it on the ground. What she pulled out was a heavy piggy bank.
“Pipi. I’ll never forget your noble sacrifice.”
“You’re really going to sacrifice Pipi? For real?”
“Yup. Daddy bet everything he had because he believed me, so I have to take responsibility and get his money back.”
“…Daughter!”
“Daddy!”
With emotional faces, the father and daughter embraced each other tightly.
Their hug lasted only a few seconds—because they had to buy the betting ticket before the next race began.
“I can’t bring myself to sacrifice Pipi with my own hands. Torkan, you go buy the ticket.”
“Uh…”
“What’s wrong, Torkan?”
Noticing the strange look on Torkan’s face, Solen finally realized something was wrong.
At the same time, he noticed that Torkan’s gaze was fixed somewhere…
“Gasp!”
“What’s wrong, Daddy? …Eek!”
In the stands, on the steps leading to the exit—
A woman, arms crossed, stood looking down at them with the sun behind her back. She looked like a judge who had chased a fugitive to the ends of hell.
“Lu… Luna? How are you here…?”
“Woof woof!”
Answering that question, a small white dog suddenly ran toward Estelle and leaped into her arms.
Catching the dog just in time, Estelle finally realized what was happening.
“Remi, you! Mom told you to find me, but did you really have to find me?!”
“Woof woof!”
Unaware of the child’s predicament, the dog just licked Estelle’s cheek affectionately and wagged its tail.
“So.”
A voice as cold as ice fell upon their heads.
The chill made their bodies tremble involuntarily. Estelle, Solen, and Torkan instinctively huddled together.
“Is this the Artist’s Street? Didn’t you say you were going to see a play?”
“Uh, well, that is… Daddy said this would be more fun.”
Betraying her father without hesitation, Estelle’s words made Solen flinch.
As a cold glare flew toward him, Solen quickly spoke.
“I’ve been wronged, honey. Our daughter coaxed me first, said she’d make me rich.”
“Such a cowardly excuse, Daddy?”
“You were the cowardly one first, Daughter.”
As the two bickered childishly, Luna, with a look of utter disappointment, turned to Torkan.
“What did I say before we left? I told you to make sure they didn’t stray off.”
“Uh…”
Unable to reveal that he wasn’t just a normal lodger but a loyal subordinate of the imperial prince, Torkan stayed silent.
Luna snatched the piggy bank from Solen’s hands.
“Pipi is confiscated.”
Then she turned and began walking off.
Startled, Estelle hugged Remi and ran after her.
“Wait, Mom! Thunderbolt Rising really wins in the next race! 1:25 odds! We have to bet! If we bet one hundred million, we get 2.5 billion!”
Words like those of a gambling addict spilled from the mouth of a five-year-old.
Luna glared at Solen and Torkan, who pretended not to notice, looking away awkwardly.
“What would you do with 2.5 billion after turning one hundred million into it?”
“With that, I’d invest it and grow the money even more!”
“And after you grow it more?”
“Uh? Become rich!”
“And after becoming rich?”
“After that…”
Estelle just blinked vacantly.
With a light sigh, Luna reached out her hand to the child.
“If we go now, we’ll make it just in time. Don’t you want to see the play?”
“Oh? …I do! I wanna see it! Estelle wants to see the play!”
“Woof woof!”
Whether she knew the future or not, she was still just a little kid.
After gently patting Estelle’s head, Luna held her daughter’s hand tightly and looked back once.
It was to warn the two men trailing behind her.
“We’ll talk at home.”
If they were going to get caught anyway, they might as well have succeeded at betting.
As if to rub salt in their wounds, the announcer’s voice echoed far and wide behind them as they left the racetrack and headed for the outdoor theater.
– Unbelievable! Thunderbolt Rising wins! He takes the victory! With a whopping 25-to-1 payout…
Three months ago, they had all been strangers. But somehow, they had come to live under the same roof—an unusual but peaceful family life.
